


Nobody Said This Was Easy

by crs17 (readitallinonego)



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 14:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8211106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readitallinonego/pseuds/crs17
Summary: In a world where people with powers are demonized as little more than monsters, an unlikely team decides they have had enough.





	

> _Citizens are reminded that individuals suffering from excessive genetic abnormalities are expected to be inside their residence after dark. Any violations of curfew will be strictly enforced. Citizens are encouraged to immediately report any suspicious activity. Remember, if you see something, say something—_

Becky turns off the radio without moving a finger, sending the entire car into an uncomfortable silence. She does not particularly care if the others wanted to listen to the too familiar warnings and neither of her passengers put up any protest.

The world was not supposed to be like this.

At least, that was what people liked to say.

Some people, in hushed whispers that barely dared to speak out past alley ways or secret rooms, wondered if maybe being born with powers was a _good_ thing. That maybe people with powers and people without were supposed to co-exist in some sort of blissful utopia.

But words like that were a dangerous thing.

She clenches her jaw and tightens her grip on the steering wheel unnecessarily, hoping that no one has picked up on her nerves as she guides the car off the freeway. She follows every rule perfectly, coming to a complete stop far behind the lane next to her despite the road’s clear marking. Obsessive rule following had become some-what of a habit for her, but this was a new extreme.

They cannot afford to get caught.

Not now.

Not when they are just beginning.

She taps her fingers against the steering wheel, trying to organize her thoughts. Is she really ready for this?

Up until now, the three of them have met in safe locations and Becky has done everything she can to avoid drawing attention to herself. Congregating with soft voices in crowded spaces, their ideas have only ever been a theory.

Justice.

Equality.

_Vengeance_.

The third motivation still makes her a little uncomfortable, even if it is no less true. Too many ‘individuals suffering from excessive genetic abnormalities’ (or ‘powereds’ as everyone called them) have been marginalized and oppressed. It is time for the corrupt system to end. Maybe, just maybe, they can make the world better for the men and women that come after them.

Or maybe that is just a pipe dream.

But what does she have to lose? A dead-end job, crappy car and crummy apartment do little to hold her back. If anything, she is more worried about who would remember to feed her neighbor’s cat if she got caught, than she is about herself. So much has already been taken from her, could it get any worse?

Probably.

Carli Lloyd was someone that Becky simply _had_ to trust. Carli had just as much to lose (i.e. nothing) and everything to gain by working together to make a difference. Not to mention the fact that Carli had proven time and time again that she was someone Becky could trust. They’d been through too much together for Becky to even question it.

She sighs and glances in the rearview mirror to the girl fidgeting in the backseat, but Alex Morgan was another story. It was a risk, one that still felt a little too reckless. But Alex had connections and _money_ that Becky and Carli could only dream of, and for some reason was willing to risk being discovered just to help them.

So despite Carli’s snarky comments, she would ignore the fact that Alex’s shoes probably cost more than what Carli and Becky made in a month _combined_. She would set aside the knowledge that Alex could turn them in at the drop of a hat. She would simply have to trust her old cell-mate, Abby’s, mediocre-on-the-best-of-days-judgment and believe that Alex was there to help.

God help them all.

* * *

Alex _hates_ riding in the back seat. Call her childish or high-maintenance, but there is just something about being hot and stuffed into a car with too little leg room and not enough circulation that makes her car-sick even thinking about it. But riding in the back seat of an old smelly car? It was the _worst_. Maybe her hatred comes from too many family road trips down the California coast, or maybe she just likes to be in control. Whatever the reason, not even _she_ had been about to put up a fight when Becky pulled up in front of the coffeehouse and Carli had slid into the front seat without a word.

She would have to pick her battles.

Even if that meant sitting in the back of a car that might spontaneously combust at any moment.

She wipes the back of her neck, cursing the constant heat that runs through her veins and always makes her extra warm. Despite the freeze of mid-January, she’s already perspiring. Not that _being hot_ is anything new for her. She smirks at her own joke and tries to get comfortable.

“You okay back there?” Becky’s piercing blue eyes search Alex’s face through the rear-view mirror.

Alex takes a deep breath and nods, aware that Becky doesn’t seem to believe her. She wonders, not for the first time, how she ended up here. Stuffed in the backseat of an old beat-up sedan while she tried to avoid getting carsick as they weaved down the streets in suburban New Jersey, conspiring to commit a crime that may send her to prison for the rest of her life.

Then she remembers.

Alex might have been able to slip under the radar of the Agency, that didn’t mean that everyone else with powers had been able to do the same.  Powereds that kept themselves hidden constantly had to avoid anything that might make the Agency suspicious. The governmental group responsible for identifying and dealing with powered humans did not exactly need evidence to lock a person away or condemn them to poverty for the rest of their lives.

Thankfully, her story has a happier plot than most other powereds. Growing up in Southern California, no one really noticed the little girl who was always running a fever. Some of her first memories were of trying to learn to control the heat at her fingertips and subsequently not light her Barbie’s on fire. She got good (but not great) grades, went to a local public school where she participated half-heartedly in mundane activities. She graduated from college with a degree in something impractical and got a job in middle management of a large company. She spent time with the right people, and associates warmly with her colleagues, while making sure no one gets close enough to know anything real about her. The practiced dance is something that almost comes naturally to her now.

And she hates it.

She hates that she has walked past powereds being arrested or beaten without a second glance. She hates living a lie, just so that she can be  _safe_. She hates her boring job with no future. She hates the panic that someday she will be discovered. 

Now she's finally doing something about it.

It is only when Becky clears her throat that Alex realizes the driver is still waiting for an answer. “Yeah. It’s just a little stuffy back here.”

Carli turns around to look at her closely, resting her right arm along the back of Becky’s seat. Alex swears Carli is just searching for any hint of weakness, and Alex refuses to give her an opening. “You don’t have to be here if it’s too much. You can back out now before it’s too late.”

Alex takes a deep breath. If anyone ever caught her with these two convicts, she would be shipped off to lockup without a second thought. Hell, what they are planning? It is more than just _having_ powers.

It is _treason_.

It is the very reason that kids are tested over and over to try and find anyone who might have enhanced powers. It is the reason that people with abilities are imprisoned and forced to endure treatment under the guise of _rehabilitation_. It is the reason that normals are terrified of powereds.

It is the reason that Abby is _dead_.

And _that_ is same reason that Alex _has_ to do something to help. She cannot just live in the shadows anymore, watching from the wings while her kind is hunted with expert precision.

“No.” Alex meets Carli’s eyes pointedly. “I’m in.”

Carli watches her for a minute before nodding and shifting back in her seat. “Good.”

With that declaration she feels herself crossing a barrier she had not realized was even there. Both Becky and Carli relax a little and the previously-unacknowledged tension in the car seems to dissipate. Alex takes the chance to clear her throat, just as Becky turns down a quiet suburban street. “So. Who are we going to see?”

Becky and Carli exchange a glance but it is not the hesitant look that they have shared so many times before. This time, they seem to be trying to decide who is going to speak up first. Carli sighs and turns back around to face Alex. “Cap—Christie Rampone, she goes by Cap. She’s led different rebel groups for years. If we have any shot of other powereds taking us seriously, we _have_ to have her on our side.”

“And you’re friends with her?”

Becky snorts and Carli shrugs, shooting the driver a censuring look. “We’re friendly enough. She’s closer with Becky.”

Alex arches her brow but decides against saying anything. She is risking her _life_ for one of their acquaintances? She twists the ring on her middle finger, one of Abby’s personal effects, and tries to remind herself that this is one day going to be worth it.

“We’ve had a couple of stints together in Lockup. We can trust her.” Becky vaguely explains, sensing Alex’s unease.

Lockup. Powereds are a dangerous threat after all, and something has to be done to stop them. Powereds are more likely to be convicted of a crime, to drop out of school, and are basically a drain on society. Everyone says so, which means it _has_ to be true.

Most normals think that lockup is just for dangerous powereds. The Agency keeps track of those criminals who want to break the law and convince them not to. Lockup is a place where powered people get together and hold hands, maybe sing a couple campfire songs, before being magically ‘cured’ of their powers and released back into the public to become doctors and surgeons and teachers. Dangerous powereds live in a luxury suite with unicorns and rainbow and no problems at all until they _decide_ to never access their powers again. Lockup _fixes_ powereds before they are released back into the general population under the watchful eye of the benevolent Agency.

There are plenty of success stories pumped out by the Agency and a media that is too lazy to look any deeper. Plenty of powereds never access their abilities once they leave lockup and the world is a safer place for it.

Or so they say on the brochure.

But for powereds, lockup is a dirty word that strikes fear into the bravest heart. Lockup is just a pretty term that the Agency publicizes so they can monitor every powered individual they can find. Powereds are captured and marked with a tattoo on the inside of their right forearm for identification. Strict rules are in place, from what type of job convicted powereds can have all the way to where convicted powereds can live. Convicted powereds  are not allowed to vote or participate in community outreach programs. They are hassled by police, punished for minor incidents and the cycle just continues to repeat.

“It will be fine. Cap is someone people trust. We won’t get anywhere without her support.” Carli says simply, mistaking Alex's silence for fear. “We want to do this right.”

Alex nods. She is not putting her life on the line just for something petty, like _revenge_. No, it is far more important than just that. For too long powereds have been marginalized as a _threat_ and she owes it to Abby, and herself, to fight for more. This is about banding together and speaking out, demanding to be treated like _people_ instead of letting themselves be rounded up and thrown in cages like wild animals. They are trying to spark a revolution and take down an evil bitch in the process.

Maybe even change the world if everything goes to plan.

“And _we_ can trust her?” Alex asks, really just looking for confirmation. Her concern is justified even if she trusted Becky and Carli with her life. Recently, the Agency had started using powereds to infiltrate suspected rebel groups. Though terrifyingly effective, thankfully there are not many powereds who are willing to turn on their own kind.

Carli smirks. “Why? Worried about going to lockup? Or worse,” she gasps in faux horror, “you might chip a nail.”

“I don’t know that my manicure would survive it. Since I’ve avoided it this long, I’d rather not find out.” Alex snarks back.

“Fair enough.” Carli laughs to herself.

“Cap isn’t like that.” Becky speaks up, her right hand on the steering wheel while her left idly traces the dark tattoo on the inside of her forearm. “She wouldn’t turn us in, no matter what.”

Alex nods. If this Cap person had Becky and Carli’s trust then that was going to have to be good enough for her. Thankfully, Becky pulls the car to a stop and Alex cannot second guess her decision for very long. “Let’s go talk to Cap.”

* * *

Carli is a bitch.

She knows this about herself, and to be honest she is usually pretty proud of it.

She just prefers to quietly go about her own business and have everyone else leave her alone. It is not that she tries to be _rude_ , but she has long ago given up caring if she hurts someone’s feelings. She is honest and people respect that about her.

At least, she thinks they do.

Not that she really cares either way.

But it annoys her, more than she would like to admit, that she has to crawl to Christie Rampone of all people for help. Cap is someone that Carli respects, but Carli has never been good at the ass-kissing that most of Cap’s closest associates were known for.

She is almost positive that Cap respects that about her.

In their first stint together in lockup, Cap and Carli had been on the same work team. Carli had been unwilling to take the shit that veterans normally piled on the newbies and Cap had given Carli her very first nickname.

PITA. Pain in the Ass.

Carli has never been prouder.

Fortunately, it is the only nickname that stuck. Most people now are scared enough of her that they would not dare to say it to her face. But they are the first words that come out of Cap’s mouth when she opens the door.

“So, PITA, Broon. Good to see you.” Cap eyes Alex cautiously.

Carli smirks and ignores Alex’s look at the nickname, unwilling to offer any explanation just to satisfy the other woman’s curiosity. “This is Alex. Don’t worry, she’s one of Abby’s.”

Cap nods as if that means something. To her, maybe it does. Carli has a tough time swallowing any powered that manages to evade the Agency. Sure, she respects the hell out of them. But they piss her off all the same.

Abby had been one of Cap’s favorite ass-kissing lackeys, even if Carli did not really see the appeal. Sure, Abby had abilities similar to Carli’s so there was bound to be a little friction. But Abby had been loud and brash and had drawn far too much attention to herself. Even if she had championed the cause for taking down the Agency, she made _foolish_ mistakes. Abby had insisted to any powered that would listen that their greatest strength was in the untapped resources of underground powereds. Powereds that were smart enough and strong enough to evade detection. She had (idiotically) risked her life to protect the identities of the cowards that hid in the shadows in the hopes that her feeble network might one day grow strong enough to take down the agency.

And she paid for that risk with her life.

But for all of her mistakes, maybe Abby had not been all wrong together. Even Carli could admit that when .

“Abby was one of the good ones.” Cap sighs, gesturing for the trio to sit.

“She was.” Alex agrees quietly and Carli bites her tongue to keep herself from saying something inappropriate.

Carli looks around and takes a seat next to Alex, though she scoots toward the edge of the couch just to give herself some extra space while the others start polite conversation. Carli has never been good at small talk, and she lets the others take the lead. Cap’s place is nice, nicer than most convicts who have been in and out of lockup and Carli is honestly glad that Cap has managed to find some level of success. They talk about Cap's two kids, her husband and myriad topics that Carli definitely does not care about.

“So, not that this isn’t fun, but why are you really here?” Cap asks finally, getting to the point.

Carli knew there was a reason she liked Christie. “Aren’t you supposed to be able to read minds or something?”

“I’m an _empath_ , so get your facts straight before you piss off the wrong person. Lucky for you, I already know that you are a heartless emotion void. Regardless, I prefer to have actual conversations.” Cap shrugs, rolling her eyes. “It’s more fun that way. But fine. You’re here because of the Agency.”

“We want to take them down.” Becky declares. “They’ve gone too far and it is time we stopped them.”

“And how _exactly_ do you think you’re going to do that?’

Carli leans forward. This is the moment. The moment that none of them can come back from. Cap may already suspect, but sometimes things need to be said more than they need to be heard. “First, we need to obtain the plans to the central lockup facility.”

“Where all the records are stored.” Alex adds.

“The plans that are confidential information. So you want to break in to not one but _two_ secure locations without being caught.” Cap summarizes.

“Right.” Carli agrees. This plan is one she can be proud of.

“You are insane.”

“No. We just know what has to be done.” Carli retorts.

Carli is glad to have her long-time friend at her side when Becky takes that as her cue to explain. Becky is better with all of the technical aspects of what needs to be done, the brains to Carli’s sheer strength. “Once every five years, the Agency backs up their electronic records and purges all of their physical copies. From there, they compile a database of every powered they have ever identified with key information.”

“Like what?”

“Like the _crimes_ they were punished for.” Carli interjects, hoping to strike a chord. Rumor has it that Cap herself spent a year in lockup for jaywalking. Bogus charges are common for powereds, but up until now they have not been in a position to show the truth.

All of that is going to change.

“For _one day_ during the compilation process, the Agency’s computers are wiped while it waits for the new database to load. It is a small window, but as long as we time it correctly, we could cripple the Agency for _years_. We would have proof of every shady and messed up thing that the Agency has done.”

There it is. Their grand master plan summed up into a short pitch. Their plan is foolish and has only a minimal chance of success.

But it is something.

Cap eyes all three of them. “Is that all?” She laughs, shaking her head.

“It’s going to work.”

“It’s not. Jill Ellis is _untouchable_. Do you understand that? No. This is a suicide mission.”

“But we _have_ to do something.” Alex speaks up. “What we’re talking about is going to be hard, we know that. But it’s not impossible. We can’t continue living in a world where we’re hunted like animals. Don’t you want something better for your kids? For your children’s future? You’re right. This _is_ probably a suicide mission. So _help_ us. Help us come up with something that will lead to a new beginning.”

Carli nods. She has to hand it to the newbie, she has got a way with words and has the tact to be able to inspire people. Maybe she is not _completely_ useless after all.

Cap is silent as she lets Alex’s words hang in the air. After a moment, she rubs her chin thoughtfully. “You guys are serious about this?”

All three of them nod.

“And you’re willing to work with _her_?” She points to Alex, just to be sure.

Alex huffs indignantly, but Cap’s question is a realistic one. “Yeah. I am.”

But Carli’s response is apparently not good enough for _Alex Morgan_ and Carli can literally feel the heat coming off the newbie in waves. “Look, I know that people aren’t going to trust me. But I can blend in with normal. I’ve been doing it my whole life. If anything, that should garner me _more_ respect. I’m here by my own choice, even though I could easily spend the rest of my life pretending I’m a normal.”

Becky nods again in agreement, squeezing Alex’s knee in support. “Instead, here she is sacrificing a good job and a nice apartment and a _life_ for the chance to make the world safe for people like us. If convicted powereds are only ever going to judge her for it, then we are never going to get anywhere.”

“This fight is for _all_ of us.” Carli agrees definitively, and the furnace beside her seems to calm down a little. “Convict or hidden, all of us that have powers have to work together. This has to stop.”

Cap raises her brow, apprising Carli with a critical glare. “Three years ago you would have _died_ before those words left your mouth. You’ll forgive me if I don’t really believe you.”

Carli stares her down. She knows Cap’s not exactly wrong, but she hates the insinuation all the same. “People can change.”

“Can they?”

“I don’t know. But Abby trusted her.”

“You thought Abby was an idiot.”

“She was.” This time, Carli ignores Alex’s outraged huff. She is not sure why, but she almost feels like Cap is trying to test her. It is an unsettling feeling, but Carli pushes past it. “But, everything we’ve tried up until now failed spectacularly. Maybe it’s time for us to try something different.”

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.” Becky adds. “For _decades_ we’ve been oppressed because we’ve been too busy fighting ourselves to take down our real enemies.”

“And who are our enemies?” Cap clarifies.

“The Agency.” Carli asserts, earning an approving nod from Becky. If the Agency heard those last two sentences of this conversation, all three of them would be dead in a matter of minutes. But Carli has never been one to beat around the bush and she is not about to start now.

If Cap is working for the enemy, the Agency would already be beating down the door.

Carli takes a little relief in the notion that she still can trust some people. Maybe they have a shot after all.

“I can’t help you. I won’t help you.” Cap’s words are like a punch in the gut, immediately stopping any hope they had for success. Cap’s telepathic powers are _unmatched_ and there is no way they can recruit the support they need without her.

“Why not?”

“Christie _please._ We need your help.”

“I’m _out_. I’m settled and for once in my life I don’t have to look over my shoulder every other minute. They think that I’m _neutralized_ and for once this entire nightmare might be over. If they had any idea that I was even talking to you, my entire family would be at risk. I have kids that—this isn’t my fight. I _can’t_ let this be my fight. I have to think of _them_ first _._ ” She sighs, visibly torn.

But it is not good enough for Carli. She _knows_ how much Cap hates Jill and she is sure that even the thought of revenge against Jill Ellis makes her salivate. “Then you’ve all but signed our death certificates.”

“Don’t be dramatic.” Cap rolls her eyes and then sighs. “But I might know where you _can_ go for help.”

“What? You just happen to know of a secret resource that will solve all of our problems? Yeah, right. If you did you would have taken them down _years_ ago, don’t even pretend otherwise.” Carli scoffs. They came all this way just to be rejected because Cap had gone soft. She cranes her neck and stands, “But if you won’t join us we will just figure out how to do it without you.”

Becky looks between Carli and Cap before standing. “We won’t waste any more of your time.”

Cap watches the two of them and smirks when Alex stands to join them. “You guys really are serious?”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to bring them down.” Carli promises.

“Cap, we can do this together—” Becky tries again.

But Cap shakes her head, her decision made. “You’re not going to succeed with just revealing what happens at lockup, and you’re going to need more than one powered that’s managed to live off the grid. You need more resources and you need something that not even _Jill_ can ignore. _And_ you need a group of people that can actually help you get inside. Maybe if you all work together, you have a fighting chance. _Maybe_.” She chews her lip thoughtfully before reaching for a piece of paper and scrawling down an address. She hesitates, but then hands the paper over to Carli. “Ask for CP23.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really haven't decided on potential pairings, so let me know if you want something incorporated. I've already decided MOST of everyone's powers, but I'm open to suggestions. Shoot me a comment if you think you can guess, or if there's something you would like to see.


End file.
